Can opener



Oct. 12, 1937. G.. w. DOOLEY CAN OPENER c Filed Aug. 10, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l a 26 40 y Fly 6" fes George N Doo/ey QWw- AJMZI Oct: 12, 1937.

Filed Aug. 10, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 fll m ml lllllumlln I 1, l y" N Q :zs-= y 48 I q 4 N 1 I: 44 I 38 36 8 80a zza- 5- INIVETITIITOR.

G'ggrge WDoo/ey Oct. 12, 1937. w DQOLEY 2,095,660

CAN OPENER Filed Aug. 10, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

George Wfiao/ey BY (m Patented Oct. 12, 1937 PATENT OFFICE QAN OPENER George W. Dooley, San Bernardino, Calif.

Application August 10,

Claims.

Various types of can openers have been developed, but in all types and styles of openers of which I have knowledge the opened can is left with a serrated edge, projecting slivers of metal 5 and a roughness in general that is dangerous to the user, by reason of the likelihood of infection developing, if a cut or other abrasion is formed as a result of accidentally coming in contact with such sliver of metal, et cetera, and under no circumstances is the can a fit vessel to drink directly from.

While this invention is adapted to be used in general as a can opener, by house-holders, restaurants, hotels, etc., its prime object and purpose is to open cans of beer, which when open may be used as a vessel to drink from, thereby saving an otherwise necessary investment in glasses, the recurrent breakage of such glassware, the necessary expense of cleansing and polishing such glass-ware, and the ever-present danger of contagion as a result of using a glass that has not been sterilized after a previous user who was infected with a contagious disease.

With the foregoing in mind it is a prime object of the present invention to provide a can opener which removes the can top as a complete disc, and which leaves the cut edges of the can smoothed and pressed down so that the same may be used as a vessel to drink from without danger of laceration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will open a can more expeditiously and in a more clean cut manner than heretofore.

An additional object is the provision of means to remove the can top from the device after having been severed from the can.

Another object is the provision of means to hold the can in alignment and against upward movement when the cutting teeth are being withdrawn after having severed the can therefrom.

A still further object of the invention lies in the novel association and assemblyof. elements which most readily permit of sanitation and cleanliness.

Other objects, features and advantages may be apparent from the accompanying drawings, the specification and the appended claims.

An additional advantage of the .present device lies in the fact that gas pressure within the can is instantaneously released due to the plural number of apertures that are instantly formed in the can lid, thereby preventing frothing.

In the drawings of which there are three sheets:

i ure 1 is a 151d? e eva ion of the device of this rvs i ea 1936, Serial No. 95,065

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a fragment of the device taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a plan View, partially in section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 4, showing the means employed to hold the can in alignment and stationary while the cutting elements are being withdrawn from the can.

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation showing the interior construction of the device, and showing a can in position to be opened.

Figure 5 is a fragmental plan view of the device.

I Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken on line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the cutters.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of one form of cutter, wherein a flat cutting surface is formed between each of the cutting teeth.

Figure 8a shows another, and the preferred type of, cutter wherein the teeth are brought to a V point.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a blank piece of metal from which the cutter is formed as a result of die blanking and forming operations.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the shape of the metal blanked out of Figure l, as out along the dotted lines.

Figure 11 is a plan View of the finished blank, the openings indicate placement for screws to hold the finished article, and for placement of the lid ejector, dotted lines indicate the bending point for the next subsequent operation.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the cutter after being formed from the blank shown in Figure 11; Figure 12 has been turned 45 degrees from the position that would result from a projection taken from Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the finished cutter after having been sharpened.

Figure 14 is an illustration of a can after having been opened by the device of this invention, the figure illustrates the manner in which the remaining edges of the lid are pressed flat against the sides of the can.

In the drawings the reference character 20 indicates the base upon which the device of this invention rests. superposed upon the base 20, a standard 22 is secured as by spot welding. The standard is formed out of sheet metal, prefer- .ablyin a metal stamping operation and is cylindrical in its upper extremity as shown. at 24, except for a vertically extending slot ZB Which is best shown in Figures 2 and 5. A, cap 28 is fitted over the cylindrical end of the standard.

A guide 30 having flanged sides 32, and preferably formed with a concave center 34, is snugly fitted within the cylindrical portion of the standard and is adapted to have a cutter 36 secured thereto by means of screws 38.

The center of the guide 39 is punched out to receive a guide stem 40, the lower end of which is reduced toform a shoulder -52 which when pressure is applied to a handle 44 causes the pressure thereof to be applied to the guide 39 and cutter 36 without tending to distort the shape of the guide and/or cutter.

The guide stem 45 extends vertically and projects through the cap 28 which forms an additional guide to keep the guide 30 and cutter 36 in vertical alignment. The handle M is pivoted to the stem 40 by means of a .pin 46, and is fulcrumed to a freely swingable link 48 which is cradled in a saddle or bearing 50. The link 48 compensates for the different positions necessary for the fulcrum point of the lever or handle 44 when it is raised and/or lowered.

After a can lid has been cut therefrom it is necessary to provide means to eject it from the cutter within which it lodges, and to this end I provide an ejector 52 which is substantially shaped as an inverted U. The cap 28 is provided with openings 54 through which the extractor 52 may move when forced downwardly against the compression of springs 56 which encircle each of the legs 51 of the ejector.

The lower ends of the springs 56 rest upon the upper surface of the guide 35, while the upper ends of the springs are held in position by means of pins or keys 58. The legs 51 of the ejector extend through both the guide 30 and cutter 36 and are flanged at 59 to prevent withdrawal through the cutter.

The standard 22 as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 6 is formed with its sides cut away at 22a 50 that more than one-half of the sides of a can are presented to the operator, whereby the can may readily be removed after an operation of the device.

As best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6, I form a flange 63 from the sides 23 of the standard 22. Adjacent the upper surface of the base 20 I form a notch 65 in the flange 63 which is adapted to receive the flanged corners of a can when placed in the device, thereby holding the can against upward movement during the interval that the cutter 36 is being withdrawn.

The cutter 36 is formed of sheet steel and as shown in the several views is formed with a plural number of knives, the exact number that I find to be most efiicient, being four. In the drawings I show two forms of cutters. Figure 8 shows a cutter formed with four knives, while between the knives ll), H, 72 and 12a, of which 12a is not shown, I form knife edge flats 13, while in Figure 8a I show my preferred form of cutter wherein the knives curve to a sharp V point M. The top surface of the cutter is flat to rest securely against the lower face of guide 30, while openings 15 and 16 are formed therein for placement of screws 38 and can top ejector 52 respectively.

The knife edge flats 13 have been developed for the reason that in certain types of cans I find that it is more satisfactory to break a portion of the can top equal to the width of the flats, rather than to cut the top to a mere point. After such above referred to breakage the sides 18 of the cutter press such broken, as well as all cut edges outwardly against the sides of the can as is clearly shown in Figure 14.

In general however, for average operation and use I prefer the type of cutter shown in Figures 1, 2, 4, 6, 8a and 13. In this type of cutter the knife edges out the top of the can until there is a mere thread of metal left, and as above stated after the top has been freed, the sides 18 of the cutter press any slight spur of metal outwardly against the sides of the can where it is completely out of the way and does not interfere with use of the can as a vessel from which to drink, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 14.

In Figures 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 I show the development of the cutter from a blank piece of sheet steel to a finished article.

Sheets of steel of any dimension are cut into square stock 82, which are then placed in a punch press where dies (not shown) punch the metal as a blank from within the marginal limitations determined by dotted lines 84. After the punching .85 has been freed from stock 82, it is again placed in the punching press and openings 15 and 16 are punched therein for the purpose set forth. The next operation comprises placing the finished punching in a forming die (not shown) in which the projections 86, 81, 88 and 89 are bent downwardly, as well as that part of the blank which lies between the arcs 9E] and dotted lines 92, thus forming the article shown in Figure 12.

The metal between the arcs 90 and the bending point, as indicated by dotted lines 52, forms the side walls 18 of the cutter and adds strength to the finished product.

After the cutter is formed as shown in Figure 12, the projections 86, 81, 88 and 89 are ground from the outside to the inside to form the knives of the cutter having a cutting edge 80, after which the cutter is tempered to harden. It is then ready for assembly as shown in the other figures of the drawings.

To use the device of this invention it is only necessary to place a can in the position as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 and to then press downwardly upon the handle 46. Pressure upon the lever 44 swinging upon fulcrum link 48 causes pressure to be applied through pin 46, stem 40' and guide 34 to cutter 36, which moves downwardly. As the points 80a enter the can top the knife edges 80 follow and sever the top from the can proper. This operation crowds the can top up within the cutter, where, after removal of the can from the device, it is only necessary to push the lid ejector 52 downwardly against the compression of springs 56 to cause the flanged ends 59 of legs 5'! to bear against the can top, thus forcing it from its position within the cutter head.

The fact that the cutter head holds the can top after having been withdrawn from the can is of great importance for the can top is automatically eliminated insofar as removal of the open can from the device is concerned, thereby permitting instantaneous service of the can of beer to the customer.

After ejection of the can top, springs 56 force the ejector 52 upwardly to the position shown in Figure 4, so that it can not possibly interfere with the next subsequent operation.

The fact that the lips are deformed and press snugly against the sides of the can, as shown in Figure 14, implies that considerable pressure has been exerted thereagainst, and this is true, and it is for this reason that I have formed the notches 65 in flange 63, thereby making it quite impossible for the can to be lifted by friction with the cutter, when it is being withdrawn from 0perative position.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, I wish it to be known that I do claim as a part of this invention, all such color able variation of features and elements of construction as clearly falls within the scope and spirit of this invention.

I claim:

1. A can opener having a base, a standard on said base, flanges on said standard, said standard being cylindrical in its upper extremity and being cut-back of its transverse center in a portion of the remainder thereof, a guide, knives attached to said guide, a lever to actuate said guide and said knives, and means to hold a can immobile when said knives are being retracted from operative position in said can, said means comprising an opening formed between said flanges and said base, for reception of the beading 0n the ends of a can.

2. The combination in a can opener having knives adapted to move in vertical directions and means to actuate said knives, of means to hold a can in medial vertical alignment and immobile against upward movement upon retraction of said knives, said means comprising a vertical standard formed with inwardly bent flanges and having a notch formed between said flanges and a base upon which said standard rests.

3. A can opener comprising a base, a standard on said base, inwardly directed flanges on said standard, said flanges being adjacent but spaced from said base, a reciprocable guide in said standard, a cutter head having a plurality of knives, a stem secured to said guide, a swingable link, a lever, said lever being pivoted to said stem and fulcrumed to said link, an inverted U shaped member extending above said standard and projecting within said standard and through said cutting head, means to prevent withdrawal of said member, spring means to normally hold said member in retracted position, said inwardly directed flanges being adapted to hold a can against upward movement during the interval said knives are being retracted from operative position.

4;. A can opener comprising a base, a standard on said base, said standard having inwardly bent flanges, a vertically movable guide, a cutting head secured to said guide, a lever, a stem fixed to said guide, a swingable link, said lever being pivoted to said stem and fulcrumed to said link, means to limit the depth of cutting head entry in a can, said means comprising a shoulder adjacent said cutting head and said guide means to hold a can immobile upon retraction of said cutting head from operative position said means comprising openings formed between said flanges and said base for reception of one of the beads of said can, and an inverted U shaped member to predeterminedly eject severed can tops.

5. A can opener having a base, a standard on said base, a vertically movable guide having upturned flanges, said standard being provided with inwardly bent flanges, a cutting head secured to said guide and abutting said cutting head, a lever, a stem fixed to said guide, a swingable link, said lever being pivoted to said stem and fulcrumed to said link, means to limit the depth of cutting head entry in a can, said means comprising a shoulder adjacent said cutting head and said guide, means to hold a can immobile upon retraction of the cutting head from operative position, said means comprising openings formed between said flanges and said base for reception of the beading on the ends of a can, an inverted U shaped member to predeterminedly eject severed can tops, said U shaped member extending through said cutting head and said guide, the ends of said member being flanged to abut said severed can top, and springs under compression to normally hold said member free from intercepting said severed can top.

GEORGE W. DOOLEY. 

